The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1887-03-18
miscellaneous.
PLAEIE-SCARRED.

quickest and surest.
saw her in 1S73 and am one OF the few
who have seen her, and lived TO tell the tale
My poor mother saw her and was sool
numbered with the dead.
My mother was dead and buried before
heard of her illness. l received a writer
message from my little brother Julius |
was very short: Mother is dead-don'
come home"
OF course, returned home as soon as pos
sible. was in despair. was not afraid O
the cholera. What had ], in my state of mind
to dread? In fact, almost prayed for death
When arrived in the vicinity Of our vii
lage, Ishuddered to see on every hand signs o
the destilation that had been wrought by til,
scourgc. The church bells in the villages
at other times so musical, morning, noon anC
night, were dumb and silent rs the grave II
self. The wheat in the fields had ripened.-
The golden grain had fallen to the earth anC
sprouted again. There was nobody to gath
er the ricl harvest. Wagons loaded will
empty collins were the only vehicles to b,
seen on the public highways.
lost no time in reaching my native vii
lngc. The nearer l approached my destna
tiun the more | was weighed down by
dreadful sense of dcsolation. White, heccy
clouds were drifting across tie azure sky
! bItbslblilltu me CLOUDS llltI
weird shapes. To me they looked like troop,
ofspcctres in white, winding sheets, carrying
long scythes.
As | passed The country house of gentle
man, Mr.. Nasay, with who | was well nc
quainlcd, | saw him leaning over the gate
lie stared ut me without the slightest sign Of
recognition There was an expression OF
intense wcarincss on his face. After had
| passed tie gate, lie aroused himself and called
out:
| When you get TO Kisalva, stop a momen,
at the Silky mansion and tell Silky that my
wife, who is his sister, is dead"
| nodded assent and drove on. 1t was no,
long before met the coachman of the Silky
family. He was on horseback.
Where are you going?" asked.
liam going to inform Mrs Nasay that he I
sister has just died"
delivered my message to the coachmap
In that case might as well 60 back" re.
marked the coachman, in n matier-ol-fact
sort of way, as If nothing unusual had hap.
pened, adding:
"As they both are dead they can tell each
other so in the next world" and turning his
horse he rode slowly back
AT length reached my parents house, and
was surrounded by the scenes of my boyhood
There was no hurrying TO the gate to meet
me, no waving Of handkerchiefs, no signs OF
welcome. The windows did not greet me
with their friendly eyes, for they were cover.
ed by the shutters.
No door opened as my carriage drove up.
There did not seem TO be living human
being on the premises. A face appeared
above the fence of our next door neighbor.-
1t was young Janos Kazi. He stared a,
me stupidity but said nothing.
Good morning, Janos"
Him." he grunted, as he turned away.
walked through the yard. The same
deathlike stiffness prevailed. tried TO open
the doors, but in vain. They were all locked
called aloud, but there was no answer A
white cat came out of the stable, looked at
me curiously and passed on as if surprised 10
sic me.
There was a peculiar smell of cooking in
the air. and going through the stable into The
yard, l saw my young brother Julius. He
was sitting on the ground in front of small
fire trying to broil chicken on a stick. BY
his side was our house dog Hector.
"Juliusn'
The boy looked up, recognized me, shook
hands, but he did not smile or show any indi-
cation of being glad to see me. l looked at
him more attentively, and perceived that a
wonderful change had taken place There
was peculiar look of age about him. Be-
tween his eyes were three deep pcrpendicu-
lar lines, or rather burrows.
what are you doing my boy ?" asked
II am getting dinner" he replied, indiffer-
emily.
why do you attend to that? Is there
nobody in the place to cook for your"
Nobody" he replied, dryly.
Where are they all ?"
"Who?"
"The rest of the people belonging to the
house."
"They are dead"
"All the servants dead p
Most of them are dead, but some ran
away
why did you stay here? Why didn't you
go to our relatives?"
They refused 10 sec me. They were afraid
OF the cholera"
Then there is nobody on the premises ex-
cept your"
Nobody except Hector. l must feed
him."
"Why don't you stay in the house instead
of camping out here?"
II don't like to 60 into the house. Some
body died in every room"
sat down on the box near the fire, and
little Julius turned his attention 10 roasting
the chicken on the stick The dog began TO
paw the ground with his forefeet.
Down Hector" exclaimed the boy, angri-
ly, 1--WE don't want any more graves We
have had enough Of them"
"Do you think"
"Ycs, Hector knows beforehand when any
body is going to die"
There was a painful silence for few min
utes and then | remarked:
"Hc will not have to dig MANY more
graves"
My brother, whom had left three weeks
before happy, romping, laxative child, did
not reply, but kept on staring at the fire. /
placed my hand on his curely blond locks,
and said:
MY poor little brother, tell mc-when did
our mother die?"
81 don't know" he replied, in the same
indifferent lone of voice. 81 can't keep the
run of the days. 1t seems to me that 1t was
long time ago."
"Why did't you let me know in time to
come TO the funeral ?"
Funeral! who talks of funerals? The
coachman took the coffin on his shoulder and
carried it to the family vault"
Tears rolled down my cheeks, and fell upon
the hot Goals and ashes
Don't cry" said the child in gruff voice
"Let us act like men come what may"
And this boy was only twelve years Of
age.
"What has become of our coachman
Klapha l know that he did not run away.'
"He is in a corner of the stable on some
straw, dying"
/ went into the stable, and there lay the
faithful old family servant The color of his
face was blush black, and he was SILVER.